Street-sweeping holidays: Arbor Day not one

Q. Is there a schedule or city policy that describes when street sweepers don't operate on scheduled days? I know they don't run on the big holidays like Christmas and New Year's Day, but what about Martin Luther King Day or Presidents' Day?

– Gunner John, Orange

A. Mr. John's question is a follow-up to a previous question to Mr. Orange about high winds forcing city crews to cancel street sweeping.

Sweepers also don't run during severe weather days including high winds and heavy rains. However, only Public Works Director Joe DeFrancesco makes the call on whether its raining hard enough or if the winds are too strong, so Mr. Orange cautions residents to keep their cars off of the streets on posted sweeping days even during downpours, unless, of course, it's Labor Day or on of the eight other holidays.

Q. Orange needs a Red Lobster. We have to drive to Garden Grove or to the Brea Mall. Why don't we have one? It's ridiculous that we have to drive 10 miles to get to a Red Lobster and then wait more than an hour to be seated.

A spokeswoman for Red Lobster's parent company Darden Restaurants, which also owns the Olive Garden and the Yard House chains, said the company is constantly evaluating markets for new restaurants.

Currently, there are no plans for an Orange Red Lobster. But the company may someday consider opening one if it sees a market demand. In other words, Ms. Thompson's continued patronage of the Brea and Garden Grove locations can only help the effort to open other restaurants in the area.

Still, Orange residents have more options for Red Lobster restaurants than most people do nationally. There are 13 locations within 55 miles of the city. Only places like New York City and Chicago have more.

Update: Last week Mr. Orange said he would try to find out if Chapman University was the largest land owner, with 78 acres, in the city. City Hall officials said Chapman was likely not the largest, although the university does own the most land in Old Towne. Determining who owns the most Orange land involves a complicated process of pulling multiple files for owners of multiple parcels, so the city continues to investigate. Mr. Orange will keep you posted.

Contact the writer: Contact Mr. Orange at 714-704-3773 or askmrorange@ocregister.com. Selected questions will be answered in the Orange City News and at ocregister.com/orange.